On April 10-12, 2000, a portion of the San Francisco Moscone Center Exhibit Hall will be transformed into a military combat support operating room. Complete with a fully-functional pharmacy, clinical laboratory, blood baking unit, operating room, and up to eight hospital wards capable of treating nearly 300 people, the full-scale combat support hospital used during combat and humanitarian missions, such as Desert Storm, has served as a lifesource to countless wounded soldiers and disaster victims. The operating room, which will be the portion of the hospital on display, is often the hub of this life-saving activity, and can be augmented with up to eight specialty surgical medical teams (including neurosurgery, infectious diseases, head and neck surgery, etc.).

The operating room exhibit, which will be showcased in conjunction with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting, is being sponsored by the United States Army 352 Combat Support Hospital, the 2nd Medical Brigade, and the 63rd Regional Support Command.

To view this one-of-a-kind photo opportunity at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting, contact an AANS Public Relations Representative in the Press Room, located in room 266 of the Moscone Convention Center, at (415) 978-3715 (3716). The Press Room hours of operation are: April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and April 10-12 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. A press pass is required to enter the Exhibit Hall. Exhibit hall hours are April 10-11 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and April 12 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Note: The Annual Meeting press kit can be found in the Media Center Section of the AANS Web site at: www.neurosurgery.org/aans.